Base-ball-game device.



J. J, FITZSIMMONS. 'BASE BALL GAME DEVICE. APPLIGATiON FILED MAY 17, 1909.

Patented June 21, 1910.-

s SHEETSSHEET 1.

J. J. FITZSIMMONS.

' BASE BALL GAME DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED MAY 17,1909.

Patented June 21, 1910.

'3 SHEBTS-SHEET 2.

J, J. PITZSIMMONS BASE BALL GAME DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 1?,1009.

Patented June 21, 1910.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

f fTooZTivhom mwijconeem:

snzem s, origins-AGO, ILLI'NoIs.

- 'nAs e-BKLn-GAME DEVICE j Be it known that -I,- JAMES J; 'FITYZSIMMONS,

I a bitizeniof the United 'States,']a nd a resi- -;results of the,p1aymay be" secured.

dent-0f the city of Chicago,inthe'county'of "Cook and State :of. Illinois have; invented certai-n new and useful rovement's ina'" Base Ball Gaine Device, "'0 which the fol-- lowing, when tak'en'in connection with the drawings ac'companying and forming a part hereof, is a. full and, complete. description;

sufficient "to enable those skilled in the art to which "it pertains to 'unde'rstand-f make,

andjuse-the same.

.The invention" relates to a devic whereby a/ga-me,v entitled base ball rnay be played.

The object 'of thisfinventiqn is to obtain i a device by means of which a' game may be played inimitation of the game of baseball.

A-further object/,of the invention is to ob-' taina device whereof'the. mechanism req uirfed to"efi'ectthe results sought will be simple, not: liable to get-out o-f order, economically 'made' .and of sightly appearance.- A further "object of the inventionis to ob. tain a device whereofsorne of-the mechanism -is adjustable, -so-that a variation inthe In the drawlngs referred to Figure Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of an porthedevice, showing the figuresrepredevice, andthe mechanism actuating the same. Fig- 3 is a horizontal section, on line 3-'-'3 of Fig. 2, viewed in the direction indi- 3 cated by the arrow -Fig. 4 is a "'front,ele-' 'vation of the figure representing thepitcher,

in the position illustrated in vFig. 2, with the front of the-upper portion of said figure removed to expose mechanism therein to desi View, and showing a portion of the base and 'main. actuating shaft oft-he device. Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the figure represent ing the batter, in the position in which said reisshown in Fig. 2, showing a portion ffi o the base and main-shaft of" the device. Fig. 6 is a 'side.elevation of the upper portion ofthe figure representing the pitcher of-the device, with the movable pitching armof the figure insubstantially the posi- .tio'n said arm moves teat the instantthe ball ed. to be thrown thereby leaves the pitc 'e'rs hand.

A referenc'eletter applied todesignate a I is a top view of a 'device'embodying the inventibn, s' howing certain runways form- "ing elements inthe device by broken lines.

- Specification of Iiett erslatent ii Pafie nted Jl ln'zl', 1910i Application filed May 17, lees; Serial No. 49e,6a 3.-

l 'given 'part is" used to..i-ndi'cate' said throughout the several figures'o'f the drawings, whereverthe same appears. 1 A is the base of the device.

-. prov ided.with'two floors, a, (1 The 'seve1 'a1 figuresof .the device are mounted err-floor.

Basef Ax r I The only fi' ures shown in-the'dra ings are. those inten ed to represent the pitcher and the batter, and-apertures,t-(hereinafter de-R scribed) are shown .in'plai'ce. of 'ffigures to;

show *the remaining players" necessary.

- Between floors-(15in a number aimsaysare provided -by means-of partitions, 113 5 13 "represent, 7

obtain therequi red number ofjflmways.

(by broken lines )'f partitions' to:

i 1,, 2,3; 4, 5, 6, 7, 8,9 and 10 are apertures..

in floor a. .Aper-tures 2-to 10, both inclusive} are positioned substantially jt'he' same as is delivered into a -runway and rollsin' said J runwaytoa pocket-(=C),jatthe delivery end of said runway. The counter se'ere made by; a ball falling-through. one of said'fapertures is determined bythe number placed adjae'ntl-to thepoc ket -tinto the ball1 is delivered.

bearings d, d, between floors aya'. Shaft -D.

is, provided with crank D.:at one end, and

D is a shaftjournal- I with cranle may the otheri'end thereof.

When the'game isplayd with this'device E is adisk i e is apro jection on disk E. 1 Disk E is adjusted on shaft-D and secured by set-screw F 'to 'release crank' g (hereinafter described), at a given time relative .to

'90 the shaft D is rotated by means-of crank-DC.

the release of latch L,'. (alsolhereinafter de-.

scribed) byend d-" of crankd;

G' -l$ a' figure representinga pitcher, and

said' figure is designed to throw or pitch ball vX at a determihedrti-me. vvheng'shaft D is obtain horizontal parth and crank I The -in the bearings thereof in said figure.

Fingers "are arranged to holdball The .ball X- is designedjto be pitched or thrown H, H are 'the arms of iig'g-ure- G. H, H" are made of 'Wire bent into shape to' J .are spring fingers'at the end of arm Hi from the fingers J' atthe time sa'idi'fingers e ifstopped bythe-erank I coming contact with the top of posts as said fingers and arm are' moved the' resilience offspring K.

To efi'ect'the'movement of H atthe;

determined time relative to a corresponding movement of Fig. P, one end of spring K is attached to crank I and theother end to crank d, and the latch L is arranged to hold said arm stationaryuntil, by the revolution of crank d, the spring Kis-at itsgrea test tension, and to then release said arm, permitting the springto move the same. Latch L is pivotally mounted at J in bearings M, .on posts m,-m; 'and'end l of said latch is arranged to engage with abutment- N, (said abutment-is positioned on part hof the arms H, H- when-said arm's H, 'H", are in the position illustrated in Figs. 2 and 4' of the drawings. The end L of latch L is arranged s' -that the shaft D may be turnedto move the latch by end at. of crank (5" coming in contact therewith, andjsaid movement of the latch moves en'd' l thereof out of engagement with I the; abutment N. The release of the latch L from abutment N 'is' effected at about, the time thesh-aft l) has been turned oneihalf' I around efir omitheposition thereof illustrated in Figs. 2- and;4,'and at said time spring K is at its greatest tension by; reason of the lower end thereof being drawn down by crank cl. Whenthe shaft D hasbeen turned one half around from the position thereof illustrated in Figs. Qand 4 and the latch L has been released from abutment N, the

arms H, H, are suddenly forcedby the spring'into the position illustrated in Fig. 6, and the continued rotation of said shaft,

, back to its initial position moves the lower said arms in their initial position until thelatch L is again moved by end 03 of scribed mechanisms are provided. i

'cranl; d. a

P is a figure representing-a batter, and is arranged so that the ball X comes in contact, or near thereto, with bat as said ball is thrown or pitched by figure To obtain movement of the figure P and bat p at a de termined' time.relative to the throwing or pitching of ball X, and also to provide for an adjustment of the waist and the parts mounted thereon relative to the part of the figure below the waist, the about to be de- Q, is a vertical wire arranged to turn in its bearings in floor-a, and provided with the crank g at the lower end thereof.

E is a table attached to the upper end of is turned.

: v u n o w re, Q to turn with said wire, as sald w re j 3 S is a spring which is attached'tov floor 0. end and'to the table R at its upper end.

. Table B is provided with apertures R.

and his a table rest-ing onftable R and held in a determined position to table R'by spring arm. R having pin 1* fitting into any one "ofthe apertures R. Spring :arm R" is at tached to. the table R by the rivet or bolt 1"-.'.-

(See Fig. 3.). Said figure is divided-at the waist and the portion ofthe figure above said waist is attachedto'table 'r, and the waist bandof the trousers are attached: to table R. Changing pin 1""from 'one of the apertures R intoazdiiferentone' 1 of said apertures changesthe position of the port-- tion of the figure above the-waist, (including the bat)', relative to the lower portion of the figure. .By thisconstruction, ,after the tables 1%,,1, are adjusted and secured together, v(by pin r in aperture R), the

waist and portion of said figure above the waist is turned by the turning of the vertical Wire tor shaft) Q.

Wire or shaft Q is turned by the'p rojec tion 6 on disk E coming in c'ontactwith.

crank g, as shaftfD is turned in the direction indicated by the arrow on the'periphery of. said disk. The turning of the wire Q places the spring S under tension, and as the crank passes, out from under said crank g the resilience of the spring returns thel spring, (and tables R, n), to its initial position. The disk E is ad usted on the shaft D so that the release of crank I e occurs at aboutthe time the ball X comes in contaetwith bat p; thereby giving the effeet-of the figure P striking at said ba 1.

then ball. X and batp'contact'sai' ball is deflected from its course, and when said ball falls to the floor a it will, at times, fall through an aperture in said floor and roll along the runway of saidaperture to the pocket corresponding thereto.

A game isplayed by this device by a determined number of rotations of shaft D being made-by each party to the game, by a determined number of hits by the'bat bn the ball; The added numbers on the pockets of the device into which the ball rolls during a game makes the score, and the one with the highest score is thewinner of the game.

It will :be evident that the device may be placed in'a conspicuous place and thegame played as an advertisement.

The ballX must be replaced in the hand J of the pitcher after each throwing thereof,

and the manner in which it is so'placed may determine, to a limited extent, the throw or from abutment;-

pitch of the ball, and theconsequent batting 1 and count therefrompas may also the adjustment of the tables 11, 72

Having thus described my invention, what I claitnas ew anddesire to secure by Leth Patient is:

A figure providedwIth fa. movable arm,

anabutment to the arm,'imeansto holda ball at. the end of the .-arn1,.'a latch, said latch engageable with the abutment, and Iarranged to.'hold said'arm stationary when in engagement, a spring. connected with "the-arm and means to placesaid spring under tension and said means for placing said spring under tension also arranged to return the spring and arm to theirinitial positions. I

3. A figure provided with a movable arm,

an abutment to'thearm, spring fingers at one end of the arm, a latch arranged to enage withthe abutment and retain the arm .1n its initial position, a spring arranged to yieldingly hold the latch in an engageable the arm, and one end of said latch at the ends of the shaft,f'a' pivoted 1atch-h'av.-. ing one'end in' position' to engage the abutm'ent on. .the-arm, and the other end projecting into the' path of one of the cranks, a.

position, in combination with a shaft, means toturn thes'haft, a crank on the shaft, an additional spring attachedatfone' end to the crank and at the other end connected with positioned in-the path of said crank. v

4. A figure provided with a movable arm, spring fingers at the end of the movable arm arranged to hold a 'ball, an abutment to the movable-arm, in combination with a base, shaft rotatablyfnhounted' on the base, cranks 1 spring haying one end ,connected with the arm and the other end attached'tosaid crank,

' said crank. and "latch; arr-an ed so'j'that the crank engages with the late to release the -Tlatch: from the abutmenb'at a-dtrmined time andthe spring arranged tofreturn the arm to .its initial-position as said springis moved byt-the crankto which it is attached subsequent to the release and movement of the'a'rm.

' 5L Abaseand a floor,- a figure on the floor' 'said .figure provided with a movable arm,

spring fingers at the end of-the arm arrangedto hold a ball, an abutment to the ;.'.-movable armgin-"combination with a shaft rotatablv'mounted on'th'e base,fcranks at' '-the"ends of the shaft, and a. ,pivotally mounted latch having'one end arranged to in a determined position, and the other end projecting into the path of one of 'said cranks, a. spring, a connection between one end of the spring and the movable arm and said spring attached at its other end to one of the cranks, said .crank, latchand spring arranged so thatturning of the crank prothe' latch from the abutment when the spr ng is under tension, and continued turnduces tension on the spring, and releases ing of the crank returns the arm to its initia'l position. I

' .6. A base, a 'floor above the base, a shaft rotatably mounted between the base and the floor, a crank on the shaft, a figure on the floor, said figure provided with a movable.

arm, spring fingers at theend of the arm arranged to hold a ball,,an abutment to the 1 movable arm and a pivotally mounted latch having-one end held in position to engage 'with the abutment to hold the arm in a determined position and the other end pro-.

'jecting into the path of the crank, a crank wrist. between the ends of said shaft, a spring having one end connected with the arm and the other end attached to the crank,

that the turning of the shaft on which the crank is mounted produces tension of the spring and releases thelatch from the abut? ment at the time when the spring is under tension, incombination with an additional figure on said floor, said additional figure provided with a waist and with arms, and with a bat in said arms, a vertical shaft and a springv .thereon in the additional figure,

said crank, latch and spring arranged sosaid walst mounted to turn with said shaft;

and said spring connected at one end to said.

shaft and attached at'its other end to said base, .a crank at the lower end of said vertical shaft, the crank wrist between the ends of the shaft 'arrangedto engage with the.

crank on the vertical shaft.

7. The combination o fabase,afi or above the base, .a'shaft rotatably mounte betweenthe base and the floor, a crank'on the shaft, a figure on the floor, said figure provided with a movable arm,'spring fingers at the "endof the arm arranged to hold a ball, anabutment to the movable arm and a pivotally mounted latch having'one end held in positionlto. engage. with the abutment to hold theiarm in a determined position and the other end projecting into the path of the crank, acrank wrist, a spring having bat in the arms, and with '21 waist, a*"v ertieal.

- one end connected tothe movable arm and shaft rotatably mounted 'in said additional figure,a table mounted on said shaft,' said table connected to. said'waist, and a prihg; on said shaft in the, additional 'figure, ;sa d engage with theabutment to holdthe arm spring connected at one end to the tableiand l3 hg at the other end to the floor, a' crank at the lower end of said verticalshaft, the crank wrist arranged to engage with the crank on the vertical shaft.

8. The combination of a shaft, a crank on the shaft, a figure provided with a movable arm, spring fingers on the end of the movable arm, a latch having one end arranged to engage with the abutment and the other end pro ecting into the path of the crank,a disk on said shaft, an abutment on said disk, means to secure the disk .to the shaftin a determined position, a spring attached, at one end to said crank and having the other end connected with the arm, a spring areeaeai ranged to yieldingly hold the latch in position to engage with the abutment on the arm, an additional figure, arms on said'figure, a bat held in said arms, a-vertical shaft rotatably mounted within the-additional fig '20 ure' and a spring on said verticalsha'ft', a

crank on the lower end of said: vertical shaft in the path ofthe abutment, a, table on the upper end-of the vertical 'shaft,'one end of said spring attached to the table, and means 25 .to hold the otherend of said spring.

- JAMES J. 'FITZSIMMONS.-'- In the presence. of v CHARLES TURNER BROWN, MAY FITZSIMMQNS. 

